Surge of cartel violence in central Mexico forces between 800 and 1,000 families to flee homes

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MEXICO CITY (AP) — Between 800 and 1,000 families have been forced to flee their homes in the mountains of central Mexico as a criminal mafia has attacked them with handmade explosives launched from drones and powerful weapons, community and human rights groups said Sunday.

The wave of violence in the conflict-torn state of Guerrero started on Wednesday when a powerful group known as Los Ardillos began to fiercely attack the communities in a rural mountainous region.

Thousands of people – including children and the elderly – were forced to flee in just a span of days after what they say were years of mounting attacks. At least one person was injured, said an organization representing the community, People’s Indigenous Council of Guerrero – Emiliano Zapata (CIPOG-EZ).

Videos show families fleeing their homes early in the morning Sunday – on Mother’s Day – cloaked by darkness with nothing more than backpacks. Others images shared with The Associated Press show heavy gunfire of gunfire echoing over farms and drones rigged with explosives laying in the brush.

“These have been days of terror,” said Marina Velasco, a representative for CIPOG-EZ. “They’ve been bombing communities with drones, and how can one defend themselves from a drone, with bombs falling from the sky.”

Community groups and local religious organizations said Los Ardillos have sought to take over the land for years in their battle for territory with a smattering of other rival criminal groups.

Velasco said families have fled to nearby towns, where many now take refuge in a soccer field. Velasco said while there is a small presence of state actors, communities like these have largely been “abandoned” by Mexican forces in the face of attacks from criminal groups. Mexico's federal government and local state authorities in Guerrero did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The organization CIPOG-EZ has documented 76 people in the region slain by the conflict with the group in recent years, and 25 more who have gone missing.

Cartels have been using drones and more elaborate weapons for years to wage war, a sign of how entrenched the conflict is in regions like Guerrero, where cartels have splintered into rival factions. Increasingly, communities have taken up arms themselves to fight back against groups like Los Ardillos.

The bloodshed comes as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has come down more heavily on cartels than her predecessor as she has faced mounting pressure from President Donald Trump, who has threatened to take military action against the groups, which Sheinbaum has called “ unnecessary.” The push by Sheinbaum has resulted in a sharp dip in homicides – around 40% – since she took office, a figure which the government has boasted even as it's been r oiled by a number of scandals in recent weeks.